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CROXTETH PARK

This township, formerly part of Knowsley but
independent and extra-parochial from the twelfth
century owing to its inclusion in the forest, has an
area of 959 acres. The population in 1901 was 61.

It is well wooded. A public footpath crosses the
park, which is pleasantly carpeted with turf and
shaded by good-sized trees. The woodlands have
been planted with evergreen shrubs, chiefly rhododendrons, which make cover for the abundant game.
The River Alt, rising in the township of Knowsley,
before it attains much volume flows through the park,
and finds its way through the most level of country
into the sea at Hightown. Beyond the confines of
the park there are wide open fields, some pasture,
but the majority arable, where some of the finest
Lancashire potatoes are grown. Corn and turnips
also are successfully cultivated in the rich loamy soil.

The geological formation consists of the lower
mottled sandstone of the bunter series of the new
red sandstone in the north-eastern half of the township, and the coal measures on the south-west.

MANOR

The record of the perambulation of
the forest in 1228 gives the first account
of Croxteth; the jurors found that it had
been taken from Knowsley and placed within the
forest after the first coronation of Henry II, and that
it should therefore be disafforested and restored to
the heir of Robert son of Henry de Lathom. (fn. 1) This
verdict was not acted upon; Croxteth remained part
of the forest, being regarded as a member of the
demesne of West Derby, and was committed to
officers who kept the park of Toxteth and chase of
Simonswood. (fn. 2)

Leases of the herbage of Croxteth were granted
from time to time, (fn. 3) and in 1446 a lease of the
herbage, pannage and turbary of the park for thirtyone years was granted to Sir Richard Molyneux of
Sefton and Richard his son, at a rent of £5 10s. per
annum. (fn. 4) Just before the expiry of this lease Richard,
duke of Gloucester, as high steward of the duchy,
granted the park to William Molyneux and his heirs
to hold by copy of court roll at the customary yearly
farm, saving to the king and his heirs sufficient pasture for their deer. (fn. 5) This grant probably lapsed, for
in 1507 the park was given to William Molyneux of
Sefton, then one of the esquires of the king's body. (fn. 6)
From this time Croxteth has descended with Sefton,
and the chief residence of the family was transferred
to this neighbourhood, though Croxteth Hall is within
the township of West Derby. (fn. 7) The earl of Sefton
owns the whole of the land.

Footnotes

1.
Whalley Coucher (Chet. Soc.), ii, 372.
The jurors further declared that Egersart
ought to have common rights here.

2. The profits of Croxteth amounted to
11s. 6d. in 1257; Lancs. Inq. and Extents
(Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), 210. In
1330 a verderer was appointed in succession to Robert de Sankey, incapacitated
by infirmity; Cal. of Close R. 1330–3,
p. 74. In 1346 this park was described as
being four leagues in circumference, the
herbage worth £5 6s. 8d. yearly; a parcel of pasture of the Hooks, between the
park and Knowsley, was worth 2s.; the
turbary was not extended; Add. MS.
32103, fol. 142.
Two years later the issues of the park
were thus returned:—Of the herbage of
Croxteth in winter and summer £6 13s. 4d.;
of the pasturage of the Hooks, 2s. 6d.;
of the pannage of swine, windfallen wood,
and perquisites of the woodmotes, nil;
Duchy of Lanc. Var. Accts., 32/17,
m. 7 d.
Geoffrey de Wrightington appears to
have been the keeper, for in 1346 he
was demanding an account of receipts
from his bailiff, Richard de Alvetham;
De Banc. R. 345, m. 21.

3. Henry, duke of Lancaster in 1358
granted a ten years' lease of the herbage of the park to Alan de Rainford
at a rent of 5 marks; Dep. Keeper's Rep.
xxxii, App. 338.
In 1387 a lease for twenty years at
6 marks rent was granted to William de
Bolton; Dep. Keeper's Rep. xl, App.
526.

5. Croxteth D. F. 1. William Molyneux was a younger son of the Sir Richard
just mentioned. In the grant the park
was described as ruinous, having no wood
in it or near it for the reparation of the
pale, so that the enclosure cost as much
as the yearly farm. The grantee undertook to ditch and set wood around the
park, to keep the deer at his own cost,
and to pay the king the usual farm.

6. Ibid. F. 2–5. The park was to be
held according to the custom of the
manor of West Derby, paying yearly the
old accustomed farm of £6, and an increase of £6 yearly for the park and chase
of Simonswood, which was granted at the
same time. The grant was in 1508 enrolled upon the court rolls of the manor
of West Derby.
The district was described as a barren
moorish ground.